{"id":96941,"date":"2020-05-25T12:53:44","date_gmt":"2020-05-25T12:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=96941"},"modified":"2025-07-01T21:19:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T04:19:21","slug":"5-ways-to-free-up-space-on-your-android-device","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/5-ways-to-free-up-space-on-your-android-device\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ways to free up space on your Android device"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/Header-X.jpg\" alt=\"5 ways to free up space on your Android device\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It does not make a difference if your Android phone has a lot of internal disk space or ha a microSD card slot \u2013 there is never enough space, regardless of whether it is 32GB or 200GB. In this article, we will discuss how to free up space on your Android device \u2013 looking at both internal storage and microSD cards. If you&#8217;ve got a Pixel, Samsung, or any other device running a version of Android this guide will help you clear data on your smartphone and free space for more Android apps and media files from the likes of Spotify and Netflix. This guide will only concentrate on Android devices, though, so Apple iPhone users will have to check one of our other guides.<\/p>\n<p>Android phones and tablets can quickly fill up as you download applications, stock up on media documents like music and videos, and store information. Numerous lower-end devices only contain a couple of gigabytes of capacity, making this issue even more frustrating for some users.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-card-starred-link\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-starred-link__img\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/battery-red.jpg\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-title\">\r\n        <p class=\"sc-card-starred-link__title\">This one simple trick will make your smartphone battery last longer<\/p>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__button\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/this-one-simple-trick-will-make-your-smartphone-battery-last-longer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\">Read Now \u25ba<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__link\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/this-one-simple-trick-will-make-your-smartphone-battery-last-longer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<p>Not much in life is as irritating as finding that your Android gadget will not let you download that new app because it does not have enough space. To counter this, you can quickly clear out several megabytes or even a gig or two by deleting unused apps, finding disconnected maps and records, clearing storage, and wiping unneeded music and video documents. Let&#8217;s got through this now but don&#8217;t worry, we&#8217;re not just going to tell you to uninstall all your favorite apps.<\/p>\n<h2>How to clear space on Android<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>1. Clear the cache<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Some Android applications utilize stored data, called Cache so that they can offer a smooth experience. The cache saves time, but the files stored in the cache are not necessary. If you want to wipe space from your mobile, the first thing you should do is to clear the cache.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/1.png\" \/><\/p>\n<p>To free cached data from a specific application, navigate to\u00a0<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Applications<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Applications Manager<\/strong>\u00a0and click on the app cache you want to alter. In the app\u2019s info menu, select\u00a0<strong>storage<\/strong>\u00a0and then tap\u00a0<strong>Clear Cache<\/strong>\u00a0to clear the app data.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/2.png\" \/><\/p>\n<p>To wipe cached data from all the apps on your device, go to\u00a0<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Storage<\/strong>\u00a0and select\u00a0<strong>Cached data<\/strong>\u00a0to clean the caches stored on your phone.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Delete your downloads<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>An Android phone contains a download folder that stores everything you download, ranging from photos to documents. You are probably not too attached to a lot of the files you have downloaded over the day, weeks, months, and years. If this is the case, then there is much space here just waiting to be cleared.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/3.png\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You will find your downloads record, called\u00a0<strong>My Files,<\/strong>\u00a0in your app drawer. Hold a file for a second to select it and delete it by touching on the trash icon.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Utilize Google Photos<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>You know what? Google Photos allows you to back up an infinite number of photos. You can back up every single picture you take on your Android phone and store it on your Google Drive. When you have backed up your photos, delete them from your Android device to free up space.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/4.png\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Turn Google Photos\u2019 Back up &amp; Sync feature on to benefit from this free cloud\u00a0storage space. Open the Google Photos App, navigate to\u00a0<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Back up &amp; sync<\/strong>\u00a0to turn it on.<\/p>\n<p>You can choose to back up your photos at a higher resolution, of up to 16 megapixels, or at their original size. Google Photos offers the unlimited capacity to store high-quality pictures and images backed up at the original size will stand apart from your Google Drive storage limit.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/5.png\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When you have backed up your images through Google Photos, navigate to\u00a0<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Free up device storage<\/strong>, and Google Photos will automatically delete the multimedia that has been backed up.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-card-program\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-program__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__img\" alt=\"Google Photos\" src=\"https:\/\/images.sftcdn.net\/images\/t_optimized,f_auto\/p\/94a9ab3a-9a9f-11e6-bcf4-00163ed833e7\/1527747734\/google-photos-logo.png\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-title\">\r\n        <span class=\"sc-card-program__title\">Google Photos<\/span>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-program__button sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/google-photos.en.softonic.com\/android\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Download Google Photos<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-rating\">\r\n        <svg class=\"rating-score__content\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 50 50\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 50 50\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path class=\"rating-score__background rating-score--good\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><path class=\"rating-score__value rating-score__value--70\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-dashoffset=\"70\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><text class=\"rating-score__number\" content=\"7\" text-anchor=\"middle\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 1 25 31.0837)\" data-auto=\"app-user-score\">7<\/text><\/svg>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <span class=\"sc-card-program__description\"><\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__bigpic\" src=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-program__link track-link sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/google-photos.en.softonic.com\/android\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>4. Transfer apps to the microSD card<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Applications take up the most storage on your mobile phone. In most Android phones, you can insert a microSD card to add extra memory. You can then use this extra memory to store some of your disk-space-hogging apps.<\/p>\n<p>To enable this, open\u00a0<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Applications<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Application manager<\/strong>\u00a0and select the application you want to transfer.<\/p>\n<p>If you can transfer the app, you will see a prompt button stating\u00a0<strong>Move to SD card<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 this button will transfer the app to the microSD card. Not all of the app will be moved to the microSD card. How much depends on the app itself.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-card-starred-link\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-starred-link__img\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/image\/upload\/v1557775679\/editorial\/google_photos.webp\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-title\">\r\n        <p class=\"sc-card-starred-link__title\">Guide to Google Photos<\/p>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__button\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/your-guide-to-google-photos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\">Read Now \u25ba<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__link\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/your-guide-to-google-photos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>5. Delete some apps<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Have you been through all these tips and tricks and you still lack space? Start deleting. There are apps on your Android mobile phone which you never use.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/6.png\" \/><\/p>\n<p>To see which applications are occupying the most space, open\u00a0<strong>Settings,<\/strong>\u00a0and navigate to\u00a0<strong>Storage<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Apps<\/strong>. There, you will see a list of apps in descending order by size.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/7.png\" \/><\/p>\n<p>To delete an application you do not use, select the App, and tap on the\u00a0<strong>i<\/strong>\u00a0icon located next to the app\u2019s name.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>These tips and tricks will help you to have a little more space on your Android. You can then use this space to store the things that are most important to you, but if you are still facing storage issues, buy an Android phone with higher internal storage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-card-starred-link\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-starred-link__img\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/cloud-data-storage-192.jpg\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-title\">\r\n        <p class=\"sc-card-starred-link__title\">How to back up files on the Cloud with Google Drive<\/p>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__button\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/how-to-back-up-files-on-the-cloud-with-google-drive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\">Read Now \u25ba<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__link\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/how-to-back-up-files-on-the-cloud-with-google-drive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It does not make a difference if your Android phone has a lot of internal disk space or ha a microSD card slot \u2013 there is never enough space, regardless of whether it is 32GB or 200GB. In this article, we will discuss how to free up space on your Android device \u2013 looking at &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/5-ways-to-free-up-space-on-your-android-device\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;5 ways to free up space on your Android device&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9095,"featured_media":96950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":14},"categories":[2441],"tags":[],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-96941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9095"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96941"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96941\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":325260,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96941\/revisions\/325260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96941"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=96941"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=96941"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=96941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}